The Russian military yesterday gave terrified Chechens in the besieged capital of Grozny five days to leave the city — or face obliteration in an all-out military assault.
The ultimatum was delivered in thousands of leaflets dropped from Russian aircraft.
“You are surrounded. You have no chance of winning,” the leaflet warns.
“The united troop command gives you a last chance. Until December 11, there will be a safety corridor. Those who remain will be viewed as terrorists and bandits and will be destroyed. There will be no further negotiations. Everyone who does not leave the city will be destroyed.”
It is estimated there are between 15,000 and 40,000 civilians left in Grozny, which is being squeezed by Russian forces and subjected to daily bombardment.
About 3,500 Islamic Chechen fighters are also believed to be in the city and are waging a fierce resistance against the Russians.
Military leaders in Moscow are eager to avoid getting involved in the kind of street fighting that marked the disastrous defeat for the Russian army in the 1994-1996 Chechen conflict. This time, the Russian military plans to blockade the city and use air power to force surrender.
But there is growing concern among human-rights groups and Western governments over the plight of Chechens who remain in Grozny — many of whom are believed to be elderly or wounded.
In Moscow, another diplomatic effort was launched to stop the bloodshed — this time by a delegation from a coalition of Islamic governments headed by Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi.
The delegation appealed to Russia to stop the fighting and open negotiations and warned that continued bloodshed would upset the Muslim world.